Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · 10d

Our team has a new research paper out revisiting what we really know about Mary Watson's Cottage on Jiigurru (Lizard Island Group).

Hint: The stone building is not Mary Watson's Cottage!

doi.org/10.25120/qar...

Not Mary Watson’s cottage: A reassessment of the ruined stone building, Jiigurru (Lizard Island Group), northern Great Barrier Reef

The remains of a nineteenth century stone building at Watson’s Bay, Lizard Island, Jiigurru (Lizard Island Group), are referred to today as ‘Mary Watson’s Cottage’. As such, the ruin provides a tangib...

doi.org

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · 26d

Check-out The Land Bridge podcast series exploring the deep cultural history of the Bassian Plain!

Each episode features a minimally edited, long interview with an expert or a team, who help us explore the deep cultural landscape which is now submerged under Bass Strait.

thelandbridge.au/podcasts/

The Land Bridge podcast

Listen to The Land Bridge podcast. Long-form interviews exploring the ice-age Bassian Plain beneath today’s Bass Strait with researchers and custodians.

thelandbridge.au

Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Aug 28

"We found when generative AIs produce images of Australia and Australians, these outputs are riddled with bias. They reproduce sexist and racist caricatures more at home in the country’s imagined monocultural past."

theconversation.com/australiana-...

‘Australiana’ images made by AI are racist and full of tired cliches, new study shows

What do Australians and Australia look like according to generative AI? The results are alarming.

theconversation.com

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Aug 9

Decolonize scientific institutions, don’t just diversify them.

Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Decolonize scientific institutions, don’t just diversify them

Indigenous scholars set out eight steps to stop marginalization in academia and to enable a shared Indigenous agenda in science.

www.nature.com

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 28

Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates

The critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills of Bachelor of Arts graduates are critical for navigating a future of challenges and careers that haven’t yet been imagined.

#RepealJRG

theconversation.com/top-australi...

Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing

Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Peter Garrett are just a few of the high-profile signatories to an open letter against Job-Ready Graduates – and for the humanities.

theconversation.com

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 28

Precious finger traces from First Nations ancestors revealed in a glittering mountain cave in Australia

theconversation.com/precious-fin...

Amazing new research led by GunaiKurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation, Madeleine Kelly, Bruno David et al.

Precious finger traces from First Nations ancestors revealed in a glittering mountain cave in Australia

Thousands of years ago, adults and children left their marks on soft rock surfaces deep in this cave in GunaiKurnai Country.

theconversation.com

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 25

It was an honour to participate in the official opening of the new Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation premises at Stratford this morning!

The event was a celebration of 15 years of commitment, hard work, and the vision of everyone working for and with Dawul Wuru.

@ciehf.bsky.social

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Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, UWA, Australia @crar-m.bsky.social · Nov 18

Paper just out on deep time personal ornamentation in northwest Australia www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Late Pleistocene scaphopod beads from Boodie Cave and deep time traditions of personal ornamentation in northwest Australia

Tubular segments of Scaphopoda (tusk shell) were traditionally used by Aboriginal peoples in the manufacture of ornate bead necklaces across northwest Australia. Twenty-seven scaphopod shell beads ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Dr Amy Prendergast @amylprendergast.bsky.social · Dec 7

I am very happy to share my PhD student @mahsaalidoost.bsky.social’s first PhD publication! 🐚🐚🎉🎉

Great Barrier Reef Conomurex shells as SST and seasonal foraging archives

#sclerochronology #unimelb
#ProudSupervisor
@seanulm.bsky.social @ciehf.bsky.social

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Sclerochronology and oxygen isotope variations in modern Conomurex luhuanus shells: An archive for reconstructing palaeotemperature and shellfish gathering on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The marine gastropod Conomurex luhuanus is a common component of Holocene archaeological shell deposits in the Western Indo-Pacific region. Oxygen iso…

www.sciencedirect.com

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ARC COE for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures @ciehf.bsky.social · May 22

In sunny Townsville on Wulgurukaba Country today with CIEHF archaeologists (and friends of!) marking #2025NAW 🧡

Yunbenun (Magnetic Island) in the background. Grateful to be guided by Ashley from @wulgurukabawalkabouts #OnCountry #CIEHF #IndigenousFutures #Archaeology #wulgurukabawalkabouts

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 20

Their Old People sang of a place lost beneath the waves. Now it’s found.

Another fantastic achievement of the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation collaborating with our Deep History of Sea Country project.

Congratulations @johnkmccarthy.bsky.social for leading this.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

Their old people sang of a place lost beneath the waves. Now it's found

For years, researchers have been trying to find ancient artefacts sitting on the ocean floor. Now they have brought in Indigenous rangers to help.

www.abc.net.au

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 17

A great overview by @ciehf.bsky.social's @jojomcd.bsky.social and partners of the decades-long work of Ngarda-Ngarli to protect their Country with the inscription of the Murujuga Cultural landscape to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

theconversation.com/we-were-part...

We were part of the world heritage listing of Murujuga. Here’s why all Australians should be proud

Murujuga is Australia’s 21st world heritage property, but only the second property listed exclusively for its Indigenous cultural values.

theconversation.com

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 17

Check-out Jacinta Walsh’s insightful review of @drtracywesterman.bsky.social‬’s ‘Jilya: How One Indigenous Woman from the Remote Pilbara Transformed Psychology’

www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/c...

@ciehf.bsky.social ‬

Jacinta Walsh reviews ‘Jilya: How one Indigenous woman from the remote Pilbara transformed psychology’ by Tracy Westerman

here’s a crisis happening in Australia – and each year it worsens,’ writes Tracy Westerman. Aboriginal children face devastating disparities: they die at four times the rate of non-Aboriginal children...

www.australianbookreview.com.au

Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jul 11

Congratulations to the Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation and the whole Ngarda-Ngarli community for all their years of tireless work to achieve UNESCO World Heritage Listing for their Country!

A unanimous UNESCO vote! And what a way to end #NAIDOC Week 2025!

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07...

UNESCO approves World Heritage bid for rock art over emissions concerns

The UNESCO has approved World Heritage status for the 50,000-year-old rock art of Murujuga, in Western Australia in Paris.

www.abc.net.au

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ARC COE for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures @ciehf.bsky.social · Jul 9

Congrats to CIEHF AI Prof Kathryn Fitzsimmons on her ARC Future Fellowship! Her project will reveal how Australia's deserts formed—and what could reawaken them. Big data + climate models = resilience for dryland futures.
🔗 @MonashUni
#CIEHF #ARCFutureFellowship
Image taken on Bindal Country

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ARC COE for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures @ciehf.bsky.social · Jul 9

Huge congrats to Centre Chief Investigator A/Prof Felecia Watkin Lui on her ARC Future Fellowship! Her project centres Torres Strait Islander voices in climate migration research—supporting resilience, health & Sea Country connection. 🌊

Image of retaining walls on Masig in Torres Strait

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Kate Fullagar @kfullagar.bsky.social · Jul 9

humanities.org.au/power-of-the...

Australia can't withstand further humanities cuts

The Australian Academy of Humanities views with great concern the impact on staff, students and the wider community of the ANU’s plan for the humanities and social sciences. Now is not the time to red...

humanities.org.au

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Lynette Russell @lynetterussell.bsky.social · Jul 9

humanities.org.au/power-of-the...

Australia can't withstand further humanities cuts

The Australian Academy of Humanities views with great concern the impact on staff, students and the wider community of the ANU’s plan for the humanities and social sciences. Now is not the time to red...

humanities.org.au

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jun 26

Many congratulations Chris to you, the team, and all the project partners!

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jun 26

So many congratulations to my dear colleague @jojomcd.bsky.social and @ciehf.bsky.social Chief Investigator on receiving an ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship for her project Pilbara Dreaming: Rock Art, Water and Heritage Futures!

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jun 16

Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago theconversation.com/ice-age-shel...

Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago

New research indicates Dargan Shelter was occupied as early as the last Ice Age and repeatedly visited during this cold period.

theconversation.com

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · Jun 13

An exciting end of the week for us here at @ciehf.bsky.social with boxes of our very first Annual Report for 2024 arriving for distribution!

A big shout out to @teresacarrette.bsky.social and all of our members and partners for contributing to a wonderful first year of operations!

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Sean Ulm @seanulm.bsky.social · May 23

What a wonderful week on Wulgurukaba and Bindal Country this week for @ciehf.bsky.social's inaugural Working on Country Masterclass lead by @jcuofficial.bsky.social's Professor Martin Nakata.

ARC COE for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures @ciehf.bsky.social · May 22

In sunny Townsville on Wulgurukaba Country today with CIEHF archaeologists (and friends of!) marking #2025NAW 🧡

Yunbenun (Magnetic Island) in the background. Grateful to be guided by Ashley from @wulgurukabawalkabouts #OnCountry #CIEHF #IndigenousFutures #Archaeology #wulgurukabawalkabouts

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